The Nexus
by StilettosAndBrokenBottles
Summary: AU. There's a place within our world that holds an entire magical universe, and Zelda and Samus are part of those set to protect evil from getting into their home dimensions. What happens when evil plots to destroy everything they hold close?


A Bad Feeling

Waking up, she knew that today just wasn't her day. Her dark chocolate hair was completely free and wild from her previous slumber. She opened up her eyes and looked around her room. She missed her actual room, back at the Temple. She hadn't been there in half a decade, ever since she had landed this job. With the threats to the Gate, she had to leave her home, and make refuge in this tiny room, on a quickly aging twin-sized mattress.

The room's walls and ceiling were metal, completely dark and dreary. The hue was a dark emerald, and instantly cold to the touch. The only thing fairly new in the room was the shag carpeting that she had requested upon her indefinite stay. There was no way she was going to stay in a room with slate floors.

She pulled away the pink and yellow polka-dotted comforter from her slender frame and smiled when the shag carpet lightly snuggled between her newly painted toes. She pushed back the hair that stopped at her back and stood up from her bed.

A full length mirror was in the corner, and she took the time to look over herself. She wasn't very tall, about five foot seven inches. Five foot eight inches when she had her leather boots on. She was currently wearing a blue top, and a pair of pale yellow shorts. Her skin was a little ashen, but spending time at the Gate had darkened her completion a little more than before she had left home.

She smiled at herself and proceeded to change her clothes rather quickly. She switched her top for her usual white undershirt, followed by her favorite purple kirtle top. And then she changed her yellow shorts for her white tight pants, socks, and her leather boots. She was about to put the dress skirt on, the one she was known for wearing, but she decided against it today, as she did sometimes. Since she knew it wasn't her day, she might as well be comfortable

Suddenly, there was a knocking on her door. A pounding that was already starting to drive her crazy. She put on her white gloves before answering the door with a snarl. She was met by a tall blonde who's hair was pulled back in a ponytail. She was wearing a bright pink zero suit, and her paralyzer gun was holstered by her side. Samus Aran smiled down at the shorter woman.

"Hi, cranky."

"I need caffeine."

Samus smiled at her best friend. She withdrew a hand from behind her back, revealing a latte. Zelda snatched it away from her and took a sip instantly.

"Didn't get enough sleep?"

They started to walk down the hall of the huge place, and they were met with dark green metallic hallways and doors. There were several intercoms placed around the large hallway, which was sending out a _Metallica_ song.

"Why must he play "Enter the Sandman" every damn morning?" Zelda growled as she took another sip from the Styrofoam cup.

"Because he says it calms him. Zel, seriously, are you okay?"

Zelda turned to look up at her best friend, the one she had to lean on ever since she had started here at the island. Samus had been pulled from her home as well, and given the same job as she had. They were both known as the Gatekeepers. And it was one job both of them took very seriously. Just then, Zelda's cell phone buzzed repeatedly. She took it from her pants pocket and read the text message. She sighed and put it back where it belonged; out of her mind for the time being.

"I just have a really bad feeling today."

Samus gave her a long look as she watched her friend take a sip from the cup as they turned a corner, leading to a set of double doors.

"Wow. If you're screening your boyfriend's calls, you really must have woken up on the wrong side of your polka-dotted bed."

"Sam, I really don't want to talk about guys right now. Let's just head to report, and start our shift."

With that, the pair pushed open the old metal doors, creaking loudly as they opened, and let the atmosphere around them seep to their pores. The sky was a ripe white blue this morning, and the clouds were melded together as the chilling air met their skin. It rarely ever felt warm here at Shadow Moses. Even the late day required a good jacket. Zelda sighed as she forgot her sweater back in her room as they walked across the cobblestone walkway to the little metal building opposite the one they had just exited.

"Zelda, I know you seem to be short of dialogue this morning, but if you want to talk…"

Zelda looked up at her friend and smiled. "I know. Thanks, Sam."

Samus smiled back as they approached the metal building. As Zelda reached for the door, an electronic device on Samus' wrist beeped. Zelda stopped and looked at her friend.

"What is it?"

Typing away at the touch screen device, she sighed. "Someone's requested access to island."

"What for?"

"I don't know. I'm going to go call this in and see what's going on. Just tell him I'll meet you at the Gate."

"Alright."

Zelda watched as Samus flipped out her high tech phone and began snarling at someone on the other end. She smiled at her friend's surliness before she ambled into the metallic building. The hallway in this building wasn't long, and she passed a couple of workers for the island on the way into his office. She stopped when she found herself in front of a glass door bordered with the same green metal that harbored the entire island. She rapped on the door twice, before a disgruntled voice told her to come in.

She closed the door behind her, and watched as the man sitting at his desk turned to his right and watched his huge monitor wall, filled with different screens that showed different parts of the island. She gave him a smirk when he saw Samus on the screen yelling at a couple of men in charge of access requests to the island.

"What is she doing?" he said as he looked the woman in front of him over, realizing she had left her dress back in her room today.

"Someone's requesting access to the island. I'm guessing they're telling her about it a little later than she would have liked. You know how she gets."

He moaned, seemingly somewhat annoyed by the truth in her words. The action made Zelda smile at her boss as he turned away from the monitors to address her properly. Ganondorf, of Ganon as he liked to be called, was the man in charge of Shadow Moses Island. The island served as a Nexus to other places, other dimensions that coexisted in their world. Places that housed different species, different lives, and even different times. And keeping the dimensions in harmonious balance is why the Gatekeepers existed.

He currently was wearing a black magical suit, like he usually did. His hair was white and his skin dark, which made for a lot of contrast that worked very well for the aging man.

"Zelda, you look lovely this morning."

"Thanks. I wasn't feeling the dress today."

The glossy look in her eyes made his eyebrows raise. "What is it?"

Zelda couldn't help but smile. Despite his flaws, Ganon did seem to posses an uncanny ability to know when they were feeling down. He'd spent five years with the, and he had served a sort of father figure to them all. Even if he was a pain in the ass surrogate father, they knew deep down he cared about them.

"I just have a feeling is all."

"Great." he scoffed and stood up from his desk. "What kind of feeling?"

"I don't really know." She said honestly.

"Zelda, you're a magical being. We all need to trust your instincts. What are they telling you?"

She sighed as she looked him in the eye and answered him. "That something very bad is going to happen today."

"A premonition?"

She shrugged. "More like intuition."

Ganon nodded. "Alright. We'll be on guard. I'm assuming Samus is meeting you at the Gate?"

"Yeah, assuming she sorts out the access request."

"Head to the Gate. Report in an hour."

"Yes, Sir."

With that, Zelda left her bosses' office, and proceeded to exit the building, and head to the ancient Gate of Shadow Moses Island.

Samus couldn't believe this. Incompetent fools. How dare they wait _an hour_ before relaying to her about an access request. Some idiot had waited until she was about to report to Ganon before sending the alert through the device she had coined the Neuro, for it controlled everything that had to do about security around the island. She was currently standing in front of a couple of security men, having finished yelled at them when her Neuro beeped again. The screen read "Incoming access request".

"Why are they requesting access again?" She said to the group of security men, not really expecting an answer in return. Then, a message popped up on the screen saying that whoever was requesting access was requesting a phone conversation. Scoffing, Samus decided to humor this person and tapped accept. The call went immediately to her fancy tech cell phone, which she called Blare, for it's high tendency to eradicate through different dimensions and even confidential areas.

"Hello?" She answered, her voice full of melancholia.

"Is this Security Captain Aran?"

The man's deep baritone voice made her smile. Then, realizing she liked the voice, she turned her demeanor to one of pure business.

"Yes, This is Aran. Why are you requesting access to my island?"

His laughter filled her ears, causing her irritation level to rise considerably. "Your island? Isn't G running things still? Surely he hasn't given you the reins just yet."

His cocky manner was really starting to piss her off. She didn't have time for games, and this guy? Definitely seemed like the type to spend too many hours playing _Call of Duty._

"Listen, unless you give me a valid reason as to why you want to access my telepad, then you might as well forget about stepping foot on Shadow Moses because if there's one thing I won't tolerate being wasted, it's my time."

He practically cooed on the other end, causing Samus to almost end the damn call. But something told her to let this bastard say his next unwitty bit.

"The reason I want to return to Shadow Moses, is because my father runs your island, Captain Aran."

Zelda was making her way towards the Gate, enjoying the sound of her leather boots clanking against the small cobblestone as she quickly put on her jacket. She had gone back for it, and she thanked several deities that she had. It was getting colder by the hour, and they were definitely in for a cold night if things progressed past the temperature of sixty, which Zelda checked before she left the Barracks.

Just then, she heard her phone buzz again. She pulled it out and quickly glanced at the screen. It was him again, calling this time. She rolled her eyes, and sent the call straight to voicemail. Why was she letting her personal life interfere with her professional one?

_Because your professional life is interfering with your personal life._

The truth quickly died in her mind. She didn't want to think about it right now. Her phone buzzed in her hand as he left the voicemail. She stopped walking, people moving around her that worked on the island as she looked at the screen. Zelda debated on whether or not she should listen to it. She did need to get to the Gate. The current Gatekeepers were probably ready for their shift to end. One quick listen couldn't hurt, could it? Hoping she wouldn't regret listening to the voice message, she accessed her voicemail.

"Zel, it's Ike,"

The sound of his voice made her heart jerk. What was it about his accent that threw her emotions for an unscheduled roller coaster? His allure was mostly prominent for her in his voice. She shook her head and continued listening to the message.

"I know that you're mad at me, but Zel, I'm really sorry. Please, call me back? I just…want to hear your voice. If I haven't heard from you by the end of your shift, I'm coming down there. Please, don't shut me out. Call me."

Rolling her eyes, Zelda turned her phone completely off, and placed it back in her pocket. She didn't need to deal with it right now. She realized she had started walking again during the focused listening of her voicemail, and she was already at the Gate's entrance.

Before her, was a large archway made of metal, that led into what they called the Gate. It's actual name was "The Nexus", for it served as a direct portal to all of the Twelve Dimensions that made up their universe. But at Shadow Moses, the protector of The Nexus, they simplified the name.

Two towers of metal served as the base of the Gate. There were stairs that helped one reach the balcony that overlooked the Gate. Below the balcony, was a large metal door. The Gateway to the Twelve Dimensions. Through the cracks of the door, one could see the swirling nexus that was the Gate, blue sparks seeming to glow along the cavities of the door. The entire building of the Gate was enclosed around the metal, and then protected by layers of magic that concentrated the portal's access points.

Zelda saw a young man atop the balcony. He gave her a smile, then outstretched his wings as he floated down next to her. She smiled at him, looking over his tired façade.

"Morning, Pit."

Pit gave her another smile. "Same to you, Zelda." His white toga-esque tunic moved with the chilled breeze. Being from a much cooler climate, the air around Shadow Moses rarely bothered Pit. He actually found it a little hard to breathe. But being a Gatekeeper, he learned to live with it.

"Ready to sleep off your shift?" She assumed.

"I'm actually good for now. I'll probably look to the Glass and see what's happening back home."

Zelda nodded at the mention of the Glass. The Glass was a mirror of magic that was based in the lounge back at the Barracks that allowed the Gatekeepers and other workers on the island to get a glimpse of what was happening back in their home dimensions.

"Sounds good. Where's Link?"

"He headed out a bit early. Something about needing some extra sleep."

Zelda laughed a bit. Link was from the same dimension as she was. Both had been relocated to be Gatekeepers. He was a skilled swordsman and didn't embrace the magic that thrilled back home like Zelda. He was the brother she never quite had.

"He's pretty grumpy otherwise, so I see his need for it."

Pit laughed. "Doesn't bother me. I told him I could finish until you and Samus showed up. Where is the lovely Captain this morning?"

Zelda smiled. "Dealing with security detail. She's the one who wanted another job besides guarding the Gate. She hates the stress, but loves the power." she laughed again.

"Well, I'm off to the Glass. Later."

"Bye."

Pit sauntered off in his sandals, and headed toward the Barracks, leaving Zelda to unwillingly ponder over her personal woes as she climbed the stairs to the balcony.

Just then, Samus came storming up to the Gate. Zelda saw her cursing under her breath and knew she was agitated. She quickly came down the stairs to face her friend.

"I hate him."

Zelda raised her eyebrows at Samus' words. "You hate who? And what was the problem with the access request?"

"The problem with the access request is the son of the guy that funds this island wants to come up here."

"I didn't even know he had a son."

Samus scoffed. "Neither did I. He's an ass."

"Mr. Masterson?"

"No, his son!"

Zelda cringed at the increase in Samus' decibels. "Alright, alright. I get it."

"Let's just, watch the Gate."

Zelda nodded and proceeded back toward the balcony with her best friend, whom seemed to really despise the son of Shadow Moses.

As the feeling of being transported dissipated fairly fast, the man smiled as the sight that was Shadow Moses Island came into his line of sight. He hadn't been to the island ever since he himself had been Security Captain over five years ago. He had given up the position to become part of the Humanworld. He'd spent his strategic know-how to become useful by military means. But now, now he just wanted to come back to where it all began.

He smoothed out a wrinkle in his military-esque suit, a slate blue hue that matched his eyes. He looked down at the telepad at which he stood, which was in the center of the quad in which separated the buildings surrounding the main part of the island.

He was about to set out for G, when he saw the old man coming out of his office building. Ganon spotted him immediately and smiled at the man.

"What the hell are you doing here?"

He smiled at his dear friend and walked out of the telepad's perimeter and grasped his hand accordingly.

"Just thought I'd stop by for a visit."

Ganon shook his hand, and smiled at the man again. "You were the one requesting access?"

He laughed. "And the persistent Captain Aran finally, and begrudgingly, accepted the request to telepad in."

Ganon's laughter mirrored the previous chuckling of the old friend by his side. "Yeah, she's a hard one, but damn is she good."

He gave a smirk. "I'm sure she is."

"So Snake, how are things?"

Snake allowed another smirk to graze across his face. Ganon and Snake started to walk across the quad, the cobblestone echoing around them as their boots hit it with a harsh hello.

"Things are good. I've been helping the military with some classified missions overseas." Snake shivered in his suit. "I've forgotten how cold this Alaskan air can be."

Ganon nodded. "I still remember when your father and I were seeking out a desolate place for the portal to our magic realms. It just so happened that here on Shadow Moses was just the place for the Gate."

"I remember." Snake chuckled. "That's actually sort of why I requested access."

They stopped where they were, which happened to be right in front of the Barracks. Ganon looked over his young friend accordingly, and intrigue spread across his old features swiftly. Snake took the opportunity to continue with his segue.

"I was wondering if you could get me a job here, back on the island."

Back at the Gate, Zelda and Samus were taking their time to just sit around and talk. Samus had finally gotten her best friend to open up about her problems with Ike, and Zelda was venting as the blonde listened intently while she adjusted the settings on her Paralyzer.

"And then, he just doesn't call." Zelda scoffed as she paced back and forth on the balcony of the Gate as Samus holstered her Paralyzer back in place. "I mean, I get that he might not have had coverage back home, but we both have multi-dimensional coverage, so I know for a fact he could have called me."

"Maybe he was attending a Council meeting?"

Ike was known as an Ancient. They were a collective of wise mystics that held some magical power, but preferred to use enchanted weaponry that the Ancients made themselves. Ike himself was part of the Council of Ancients, where a selective group protected their homeland and sought out all of the ancient ways that dwelled eons before them. He was one of the youngest members of the Council, and it was there that he and Zelda held some conflict. With her being a Gatekeeper, and him being on the Council, it strained their relationship, for it called for Ike to return home frequently for meetings.

"I already spoke to another Ancient, and there wasn't a meeting since last week. There's got to be something he's keeping from me."

"Zel, I know you're really freaking out by now, judging by how fast you've been talking for the past forty-five minutes, but maybe he _did_ just get busy."

Zelda took the time to sigh. Maybe she was being overly paranoid. Ike could very well be doing Ancient stuff, and therefore couldn't have had the time to let her know what was going on. But, he still couldn't done something. She was conflicted, and she didn't know exactly how to feel.

"I don't know. I guess I'll just have to wait and see what happens after our shift."

Samus smiled as her cell rang. She thought it was Blare at first, but it was her personal phone that was buzzing. She answered it without checking the caller ID.

"Aran. Oh," Samus paused to look at her bff, whom gave her a quizzical stare. "Hold on a sec."

Samus covered up the receiver and looked toward Zelda.

"Who is it?" she asked.

"It's Ike. He says your phone's off."

Zelda had forgotten that after hearing Ike's message that she had turned her phone completely off. She sighed and put out a hand to retrieve the phone. Samus let a sly smile purse her lips as she handed her the phone.

"Hey."

"Hey."

Ike's thick accent trailed along his words so elegantly, that Zelda almost forgot that she was mad at him. _Almost_.

"So what's going on, Ike? No call, no text. Nothing in the last couple of days."

"Zel, I'm sorry." She could already hear the regret and guilt dripping from his tone. It made her heart quicken and made her smile. "I was busy relocating my family to a different region back home."

Relocating? Why would he possibly need to move his family? Zelda didn't like the sound of the terror in his last dying syllables.

"Why were you moving your family?"

"That's another reason I haven't been able to call you. We had an Ancient receive a vision within the last couple of hours, one of the ones that's embraced and honed his magical prowess."

_That's why I've been having a bad feeling today_, Zelda thought as worry and fear crept into her psyche. "What was his vision?"

"He said that he foresaw someone gaining access to all the Dimension Crystals, and using them to spread darkness through every single one of them."

Zelda had to stop herself from dropping the phone as she herself felt herself being pulled into one of her own premonitions. Her surroundings shifted, and it was as if she pulled her into awareness into her mind. With her eyes closed, the premonition started to assemble before her. She heard the sound of an explosion, and then suddenly she saw three creatures emerge under the archway that was the entrance to the Gate.

All to suddenly, the premonition ended, and she found her self still clutching Samus' phone to her ear, with Ike on the other end, saying her name over and over.

"I have to go. Thanks for the warning."

Without another thought, Zelda ended the call, still grasping the phone in her hand as she stared down at her feet.

"Zelda, what did you see?"

She looked over at Samus, the blonde looking overly cautious as usual whenever Zelda received her premonitions. Zelda handed the phone back to its rightful owner and felt all of her senses rise in alertness.

"Someone getting through the Gate."

Samus was just about to ask about the conversation with Ike, when a loud explosion was heard just outside of the Gate's entrance. Zelda and Samus locked their eyes with the other, fear and concern exchanging between their irises before they ran down the balcony and headed toward the explosion, hoping that this particular forewarning, wouldn't come true.


End file.
